Combined mattress and life-raft.



C. H. FRYE.

COMBINED MATTRESS AND LIFE RAFT.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-18.1915.

Patented Api'. 6, 1915.

Car/es /1. Fr e,

)l/ffizesaes; 9% 3 M4 fl Z' m N m R W W Q7 5 THE NORRIS FETEQS CO..PHOTO-LITHI, WASHINGTON, D. C

CHARLES H. FRYE, or soUTH :ennnr vpraimf COMBINED MATTRESS AND nrrnmr'r.

Application filed January 18, 1915, Serial No. 2,827;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES H. FRYE, a citizen of the United States,residing at South Bend, in the county of St. Joseph and State ofIndiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in CombinedMattresses and Life-Rafts, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a mattress which,

to provide a soft cushioning effect when reclined upon, and at the sametime suflicient rigidity so as not to bend when 'sub ected to the forcesof its own buoyancy and the weight thereon when in use as a life raft orfloat.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision ofa'mattres's which is resilient and yielding'throughout its centrallongitudinal length, and rigid along its longitudinal edges, so as toprevent the major length thereof from bending vertically when used as araft.

A still further object resides in the provision of a mattress whichconsists mainly of buoyant materials, such as the frame and the filling,and which will at the same time have the proper resiliency and rigidityfor use either as a bedding or as a life raft.

The invention in the preferred form of details will be described in thefollowing specification, reference being had particularly to theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved mattress. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a partconstituting the frame of the mattress, Fig. 3 is a transverse sectionalview taken on the line az-m of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a section taken on theline 2 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the membersof the frame.

6 designates the frame of, the mattress, which is substantiallyrectangular in formation, and comprises side bars 7, preferably made ofa suitable light wood, the bars 'c'on= Specification of Letters Patent,i i Patented Aprnfi, 1915.

stituting the longitudinal sides of the frame,

andwhich are provided with semicircular grooves on both edges thereof,as at8, the grooves being disposed toward oneside of the edge surfacesand asnear the corners of the bars as possible, for a purpose presentlyexplained. Seated in the grooves 8 of the bars and extending beyond theends of the latter, are frame -members 9, preferably madeof roundedratan, the bars thus hold ing same in spaced relation, andwith thelatter forms the frame for supporting the completed mattress along itsmarginal edges. The ratan frame members are secu'redto the bars in anysuitable'manner, as by means of lashings of .cord'lO, and being roundin. cross-section and-only partially seated inthe grooves 8 immediatelyadjoining the corners 11 of the bars, a rounded effect is given to thecorners, with the obvious advantage of reducing wear upon the tickor-casi'ng 12,

which fits over the frame.

The casing 12 is preferably stufledwith a material 13 not readilyabsorbent of water, as lrapok, which has the proper softness andresiliencv for mattress use, and at the same time suflicient buoyancy tosupport many times its weight in the water. The mattress is tuftedin theusualmanner 'to prevent shifting of the filling. and a stitching ispassed entirely through the mattress along the marginal edge thereof andadioining the inner sides of the frame. as indicated at 14, which drawsthe casing down over the edges of the bars and frame ends. firmlvbinding the latter to the bars and imparting a certain firmness to thestructure as a whole. Poc ets 15 extending inwardlv from the mattresscasing are provided inwhich to store containers of food and water. foremergency use in case of ship wreck. the pockets being entirelysurrounded with the lrapok filling as a protection to the contents ofthe pockets against breakage. flaps 16 sewed to the casing serving asclosures for the pocket openings. the free ends of which may be heldclosed b any suitable means. i

Fromthefore oing descript on it will be observed that all parts enteringinto the structure of the im roved mattress consists of material havingthe property of buovancy A when submerged 1n water. some to a greaterextent than others, and has been found to easilysupport one personentirely out of the vided to facilitate handling of the mattress and forclinging thereto, two of which extend entirely around the mattress andhave unstitched sections 18, under which the hands and feet of a personmay be passed when used as a raft in a rough sea, or when weakened byexhaustion due to exposure or lack of food and Water. Asibothsidesof themattress are alike, no care need be exercised in launching thesame.

As Will be noted the frame is partly rigid and partly flexible,the'object of which is to prevent the mattress from-bending verticallywhen on the water, which bending would reduce its :force of. buoyancy,while the'flexible ends permit a yielding or spring at those points:uponwhich the head and feet rest'when used as a'bedding, thus providingthe=maximunicomfort-when used. as a mattress,andtheproperwrigidity whenused as *a ':life" raft.

hilethe' fOregOi-ng is the; preferred form of my inven tion, I- desireitiatorbe understood (that *I do not limit myse'lf to athe :"PlGCiSB.structure shown and described as it is obvious that the same may.lee-variously modified without I departing {from the :spirit ":of "theinvention. i

What is 'claime'idis:

.1. A mattress comprising 3, marginal. frame having yielding *endportions rand rigid interme'diateportions, a casing for the frame,:an'daa filling 'for: the" casing Of'MlEL-trial not rea dilywabsorbent ofwater.

'12. A: mattress comprisingaa framewhaving "rigid side'bars and space'dflexible wframe sthe bars, a casing, and afilling for the oasang.

4. A mattress comprising a frame having rigid side bars and spacedflexible frame vmembers secured'to and extending beyond the ends of theba-rs, a casing for theframe,

a pocket extending inwardly of-the casing, andaefllling for the casingofamaterialnot =readily absorbent of .Water.

:5. .A=mattress comprising a frame having rigidgrooved side bars,andspaced flexible -=frame members seated inesaid grooves and:ex'tending-beyond theends of the bars, a casing for the frame, 1afilling for the casing, and za'marginalstitching-through thecasingrandifillingladgolning the lnner surfaceofthe frame, whereby thecasing is drawn taut about ,the frame to hold the frame: members :seatedin% the: groovesv of the P "-SldBifbELIS.

zlnqtestimonyvwhereof I. aflix my signature in apt-6861166; Lofltwowitnesses.

7 CHARLES :H. IFRYE. WV-itnesses :LELAAW. COOK,

GEORGE J. OLTSGH.

:G'opies 'of this- 'patent-anay be:obtained for five-wants eachbyieaddressingv,the' ,Commissioner. of Patents Washington, D: 0;

